This year’s 9/11 post is going to be somewhat different for me; it’s the first time I write one being a non-resident of the NY/NJ area.  As many of you know, I moved to the Midwest earlier this year, but I commute almost weekly to New York for work. As I booked my tickets for my return trip home, initially I was supposed to leave yesterday, the 10^th.  However, I felt this amazing need to be in NYC today; where all people (and I mean all) share the pain of the day. I extended my trip by a day.

You see, in NYC, you’re hard pressed to find someone who did not know at least one person who was lost that day, or at least, they know someone who does. For me; it is two people.  I’ll say my prayers for them and all the people who perished that day in NY, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania privately. This post is about something else; unity.

Everyone remembers where they were on that day. I was in Miami at a sales meeting for the very large tour operator for which I worked at the time. We were, that day, going to present our new international emergency plan and roll-out the “GO TEAM”; ten specially trained individuals who would fly to wherever there was an international emergency to take care of our passengers. Little did we know, our GO TEAM would be needed that day and worse, that we would be needed here at home.

As soon as the catastrophe began, we went into action, taking care of the plans and communication for the over 12,000 travelers grounded at points around the world, unable to come home.  It took almost ten days to get everyone home, but we did.  I won’t go into all the details about that project, because they are irrelevant. What is important was the feeling of unity that every American felt that day and the year or two that followed.  Every single house flew an American flag. Every car had some sort of sticker. We were as united as I remembered in my lifetime. There was nothing we couldn’t do together. 

Yet, eight years later, I was having dinner with friends last night and clearly the Republicans weren’t happy with the Democrats at the table. Political talk got extremely heated between the bankers, hedge-fund managers, real estate developers and others. I have not seen such fierce political division in a long time.  At one point, someone asked about the date and within a moment, everyone remembered 9/11.  Political discussions stopped in an amazing cease-fire.  We talked and toasted more important things like family and friendship.  I only wish we could make that feeling last.  America needs to be united, all the time, every day. I’m afraid however, Monday will come and we’ll again take political sides. The theme will be division and it is a shame.

So, as you go about your day, there’s no question you’ll be thinking about 9/11. Please, PLEASE tell me we all learned something that day and that the date isn’t just a memory. Try though, to keep that feeling of American pride and unity through next week, next month or for as long as you can.  Remember, life is fleeting. What we do all day for work is meaningless in the big scheme of things. Finally and most important, go home tonight, kiss your children, your spouses and your loved ones. Tell them how much you care about them. Help them whenever needed with whatever needed. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Do this every day, being sure not to miss a day, not a single day.

I’ve now spent over a year *really* looking at travel agent websites and talking to agents about their successes (or sometimes lack thereof) with Tripology.  Those that are successful with Tripology (i.e. selling online) have a few key, common elements, so I thought I would share them with you.

First, it is important to realize selling online is different than selling face to face; much different. With face to face communications, there’s a certain degree of immediate trust that your client extends to you.  They see you, an office, a phone and a sign on the door.  Basically, a physical address carries some weight when it comes to trust. (As we all know, sometimes it’s too much weight and overhead you can’t afford. More on that another time.)

When you’re selling online however, you have some work to do, just to get someone to speak with you, let alone give you their business.  Your initial email to the client and your website are your calling cards.  With respect to your initial email, come off too cocky and you’ll wonder why no-one returns your communication.  Come off too vague or cute and you can expect the same results.  (I just love the one’s that read “I’ve been in travel for decades and will make all your dreams come true!” Ahh, no, you’re not going to get a response to that email.) Ideally, you need to come off as confident, professional and trustworthy. We have some great examples of initial emails in our “Tripology 101” document available for free to all registered Tripologists on our website.  Assuming you do well with that, do you ever wonder what will the potential client do next? They’ll check your website; be sure about this. I’ll repeat this so you don’t miss it.  Online consumers will check your website as their first “sniff test” of you.

Gaining trust online is tricky yet so very important. Here are some thoughts on what your website should look like and include.

1.  Want to look like a pro? Hire one! Please PLEASE hire a professional to build your website.  I know there are plenty of companies out there (like some internet service providers – ISPs) offering templates that you can click through and design. So, if you’re tempted to take this route, well, DON’T!  Unless you design web pages for a living, don’t endeavor to build one for your travel business. Further, if your nephew says he can do it “cuz he just learned it in class” thank him, tell him you love him, but hire a pro.There are some very professional companies that specialize in building websites for travel companies and while I would prefer a totally unique website, these companies do make it easy to get started and immediately have your site full of special offers from travel suppliers.  PassportOnline does a good job in this category. If you want a unique site, built with SEO (Search Engine Optimization is key to being found on the internet), 2GoMedia does well with this. While they use templates, they’ll customize yours so that you don’t look like you used a cookie-cutter. 

2. No pop-ups.  There are ads everywhere on the internet. Your visitors to your site should be able to experience a commercial-free zone. I know you might make a few extra bucks with Google ads, but I believe your website should be free of commercial messages (unless they’re yours), especially pop-ups.
3. Content is king! You’ve heard of “Location, location, location” in real estate, well online, its “Content, content, content.”  Your site should contain plenty of real, relevant information. And, don’t forget the video, graphics, photos, maps and whatever else will keep your visitors engaged.  If you can get them to laugh, you’re way ahead of the game.
4. Who are you? Really, a travel site without the “About us” page screams “Scam!”  Be proud of who you are, even if you’re a home-based professional.  Looking like a pro doesn’t mean you have to have a monster office.  Rather, talk about your network, your consortium or your host. Talk about all the years you’ve taken to refine your craft.  Most of all, talk about all your travel experience. The key is talk!
5. Blog this!  This is a must. At the very least, you should be posting weekly about your travel experiences, your customers travel experiences, your qualifications (like having received your CTC designation from the Travel Institute - http://bit.ly/D62Jk ), interesting travel news and anything that shows you eat, sleep and dream travel.  Be sure to make the information interesting and fun to read and make sure it is relevant for your readers.
6. Contact us.  This section of your website should clearly list a phone number and email at the least.  A street address, while not mandatory, is a bonus.  Either way, this information should be easy to find for your visitors.
7. Braggart! You should include testimonials from clients.  Using full names is ideal, though you’ll first need to check with your customer to see if they mind you listing them.  At the very least, if you list first name and last name initial, you should be able to produce your client testimonials, with full details, if someone asks for them.
8. Misspellers of the world, Untie! Misspelled words, typos and improper punctuation have no place on your website. Ever. 
9. Be social. Make sure you provide links and give visitors every opportunity to join your social networks like Facebook and Twitter.  As mentioned, you should be blogging at least weekly, but you should be all over Facebook and Twitter daily.
10. For your eyes only.  Be sure to have a privacy policy that clearly tells your visitors their information is safe and that you won’t spam them.

So, I’ve seen a lot of travel agent websites. Some of them are really wonderful, professional and full of unique, interesting content.  Some are, well, not.  If you feel like you’re falling short on the above checklist, it is never too late to update or re-build. Having a professional website is one of the best investments you’ll make.

Finally, here are some very important links.

1. Want to look like a real travel pro? Be one. Earn your CTC (Certified Travel Counselor) or CTA (Certified Travel Agent) designation from the Travel Institute. This is one of the best investments you will make in your professional development. Click here: http://bit.ly/D62Jk
2. If you are a front-line travel professional, one association I think you should join is the US Travel Association. US Travel is offering a trial membership and I think it is a great value.  Plus, you’ll be able to use their logo on your business cards. Click here: http://bit.ly/q2RnF
3. If you are a senior travel marketer, I think you should be a member of ATME – the Association of Travel Marketing Executives.  As a member of ATME, you will expand your network with some of the finest people in the business. If you want to be at the right place at the right time, starting with ATME functions is a smart move. Click here: http://bit.ly/Dys0G
4. The best investment you’ll make in professional development is taking courses from the Travel Institute. Earn your CTA or CTC (Certified Travel Agent / Counselor) or take one of their many Destination Specialist courses and earn your DS. Want to look like a seasoned pro? Learn more to earn more! Click here: http://bit.ly/D62Jk
5. Have you seen the new Tripology travel expert blog?  You could be earning free Tripology credits AND you could be getting published on one of the coolest travel blogs around. http://ow.ly/lgY6